Predicting treatment responses and disease progression in myeloma using serum vascular endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor levels

Analysis of serum angiogenic factors in a young multiple myeloma patient with high-output cardiac failure

Angiogenesis is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of multiple myeloma (MM). In some young patients, the MM has been reported to be complicated with high-output cardiac failure (HOCF), in which an increase in the vascular bed may be involved in the pathogenesis; however, no throughput studies have been conducted to determine what angiogenic factors are associated with HOCF in MM patients. We experienced a 34-year-old MM patient with HOCF and used the cytokine array system to investigate the expression of angiogenic cytokines and related factors in his serum before and after treatment and to compare the results with those of a healthy volunteer. We treated the patient with chemotherapy in combination with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Following the treatment, he showed a good partial response without any signs of cardiac failure. The patient had experienced dramatic increases in the expression levels of angiopoietin 2, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 6, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. After treatment, the levels of these factors decreased remarkably in association with an improvement in the patient's clinical condition. We review previous case reports in our discussion of the significance of these findings in the pathogenesis of MM with HOCF.

Hepatocyte growth factor, its receptor, and their potential value in cancer therapies

Hepatocyte growth factor plays multiple roles in cancer, by acting as a motility and invasion stimulating factor, promoting metastasis and tumour growth. Furthermore, it acts as a powerful angiogenic factor. The pivotal role of this factor in cancer has indicated HGF as being a potential target in cancer therapies. The past few years have seen rapid progress in developing tools in targeting HGF, in the context of cancer therapies, including development of antagonists, small compounds, antibodies and genetic approaches. The current article discusses the potential value of HGF and its receptor as targets in cancer therapies, the current development in anti-HGF research, and the clinical value of HGF in prognosis and treatment.